


Ren Winter

by finnian4ever (orphan_account)



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2014-03-10
Packaged: 2018-01-15 05:31:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1293169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/finnian4ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a truce. Humans and vampires co-exist with the establishment of the Banquet Hall System. In the 21st Century Victor VanCloud fights to end the trafficking of humans for their blood. Out of the thousands of lives he has saved, none effect him like little Ren.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Bare feet fled along the cold ground, slipping every now and again in their haste. Tender hands shielded an equally tender face from the low hanging branches of the trees as he struggled to run through the dense forest.

The smell of coming rain was heavy in the air, the setting sun veiled with black clouds beyond the end of the forest. Several streaks of violent red struck out from their cloudy prison and hit the runner in the face. Childish eyes squinted in the sudden ray of light and fought against it. The small legs continued to run, carrying their owner as fast as they could.

Behind him, the sounds of festival music, drunkenness, and loud groans bellowed like a hound threatening to overtake him and drag him back into the snare he had just escaped. He reached a sharp incline in the land and scrambled up it without so much as a whimper as his feet were scratched and torn. He had made it this far, he was not going to let his own voice give him away now. Even if he kept quiet, ran hard and long, he still had very little hope. Yet what little hope he did have was enough to move him forward.

((()))

Rain pounded against the ancient tiles of the church roof, rushing down to slop past glassless windows to the mud in the deserted flower beds. A flash of lightning revealed for a split second, the damaged wall in the front of the sanctuary. It crumbled into a gaping hole wider than a doorway. This church had been standing far too long to fall, or to find a caring person to maintain its structure.

Another flash of lightning lit up a tall figure moving swiftly through the large hole, a shorter figure in tow. Above the rumble of thunder laughter could be heard, and then a woman's voice,

"It's been years since I've done this, but I couldn't help myself when I ran into you."

The figures both tossed back the hoods they had been wearing. One was a woman, the other a creature who looked like a man. His hair was jet-black against his young face. When he smiled, fangs gleamed in the lightning.

"Once bitten it is hard for a human to practice restraint. Ironic, is it not?" He took her hand and stroked it gently. "We are the ones normally associated with overindulgence and yet your folk crave us as eagerly as we crave you."

The woman smiled, laying her cheek against the hand that held her own.

"You always do that; get all fancy with your words and then your prey turns weak and helpless. I daresay it's a hunting tactic you use."

"Prey? Hunting?" He swung her around gracefully for a second in an impromptu dance before drawing her in by her waist. "Those words are far too harsh and you know it, my darling. This is the 21st century, after all."

"I know but it is so deliciously exciting to think about." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Hunt me right now, right here in this...this…where exactly are we?" She asked, looking around for a few seconds.

"St. Catherine's. It has stood empty for over two decades. I come here when I want to escape from all the matters at home."

"How nice of you to show me your secret place."

"Ah yes, well, I have many of them. This is just one. I figured, since you both have the same name, you might want to meet." He pulled her in close. "Also, if I remember rightly, your blood is worth revealing my secret."

He ran long pale fingers through her hair and along her neck.

"Are you sure you are going to let me do this for free?" She laughed at him.

"With how incredible it feels, I should be paying you if anything."

"Then where shall I bite, my sweet?"

"Here, right here." She said tilting back her head. The creature bared his fangs as they grew long with excitement.

"Why don't I just get you warmed up first?"

Quick as the lightning above them, he seized her wrist and latched on with his mouth. Catherine gasped with the initial pain, but mere seconds later she was moaning as the pleasure spread from the bite and made her eyes roll back. A few more seconds passed and she opened her eyes to look down at the creature feasting on her blood, when she caught sight of something else.

"Victor, stop!"

The creature drew back with an ease that spoke of a great many years' practice in the art of control. A string of ruby drops lined his lips, which he quickly gathered with a swipe of his tongue. He turned to look where she was staring. There were still a number of pews left in the old chapel, but a few had been knocked over in their abandonment. Beneath the nearest one, a small pair of bare legs and feet was peeking. Victor once again licked his lips, whispering,

"Who on earth could be..?"

He felt Catherine distractedly wrap up her bleeding wrist and step back a bit. Curious and unafraid of anything, Victor walked toward the lopsided pew and bent down to see who the tiny legs belonged to.

It was a small boy, wrapped in nothing but a pitiful tunic of soaking wet burlap. His small wet head was lying on the stone floor, as if he had no strength to move himself despite how violently his body was shivering. As sorrowful a figure as he made, one feature struck out at Victor with the power to stop anyone in their tracks. His eyes were open and staring up at him with both bravery and fear, clear and bright as if lights shone behind their amber depths. Victor moved slowly so as not to frighten the boy. He reached out and touched the wet shoulder. If the boy flinched it was hidden by his vicious tremors.

"Are you lost, little one?"

Victor did not really expect a reply, and did not get one. Carefully, he pulled the boy out from under the pew and sat him in his lap, disregarding the water dripping from the boy and soaking into his own clothes. He was surprised when the boy instantly latched onto him, small shaking fingers tightening on the front of his shirt. Victor reached a hand up to hold the back of his head.

"Where on earth did you come from?" He asked. The boy looked straight up into his eyes again and whispered,

"C-Chargers…"

Victor's lip curled back in a small snarl at the name, his heart beginning to thump wildly at the same time. How had the child had managed to escape? The boy buried his face into Victor's shoulder, hands still gripping him as if his life depended on it. Considering where he had just come from, it truly did.

"Catherine, I'm afraid our night together ends here."

Catherine was looking at the boy over his shoulder, her own lips set in a straight line after hearing the word he had uttered.

"I understand."

"You're not safe here either." Victor rose to his feet, and Catherine helped him to wrap most of his own coat around the boy. "I'll take you home and-"

"No, Victor. You and I both know what this means." Victor drew in a heavy breath and nodded. "I'll make the call, then. You must leave at once. The rain will cover your scent, just as it must have covered his."

"Wipe them out this time, Victor." Catherine said, giving his arms a firm squeeze before turning to leave. Victor watched her go with an ache in his heart. She was strong for a human, but he desperately hoped she would find her way safely home. He then turned his face to look down at the boy, expertly forcing his tone to be calm.

"Can you tell me where they are?" The boy's head jerked up at once, his eyes wide with fright.

"Don't take me back to them! Please don't-"

"Hush, my boy, I won't hand you back to them," The boy relaxed. "but I do want to find them. I've been after them for a long time." He explained gently. "Can you…tell me where they are?"

The boy shivered again in a way that Victor doubted was just from the cold. It was a lot to ask from a child, but if it were true, this was the break he needed to finally nail those bastards…

"They're…in the woods…They were having a festival…I ran in the rain for hours to get away."

"Which way did you come from?"

The boy lifted his head and pointed a small hand out of the folds of Victor's coat, toward the east side of the chapel.

"Good boy." Victor said.

He shifted the boy into the cradle of one arm and pulled his phone out of his pocket with his free hand. He did not need to dial the number; it was the first one in his phone.


	2. Chapter 2

The rain had let up, but the rumble of thunder continued in the distance. The wet trees were black and glistening in the night. The air was so fresh it was hard to imagine how the scent of human blood could taint it so near where they were concealed.

Victor was hunkered down at the top of a small valley deep in the woods, flanked on each side by a row of the finest policemen, both human and vampire. All held specialized tranquillizer guns and regular firearms. Several yards below them lights from fires and torches lit a horrifying scene: A Charger's festival, or the ends of it. Like a small circus there were several bright tents, various stages and stands, and a few wagons. It was the entertainment and 'refreshments' that were so different.

A few raised voices alerted them to the intoxicated within the tents. The human moans told of those currently working themselves toward inebriation. The sound made Victor sick. Best to hit them when they were off guard. Victor was amazed that they had not encountered at least one look-out. Never before had they been so close. Every time before their presence had been detected by a vampire scout long before their arrival, and the Chargers packed up and fled before they could infiltrate it.

This night was a brilliant stroke of luck. What with the lack of a scout there was no one to warn of the impending danger, and the rain had covered their scent. Plus with the pungent smell of so many humans gathered together for sport it was likely they hadn't even noticed the scent of one small 'appetizer' gone astray. Unfortunately for them, that stray had fallen right into Victor's hands and led him and the law to the very brink of their illicit festival.

Said stray was currently clinging to Victor's back beneath his coat, small legs pinching into his sides tightly. It had been an easy, yet delicate decision to make; they needed the boy with them to show them the way. It had been impossible to convince the boy to let go of Victor for a second regardless, even as he quaked with fear knowing where they were going. The police chief knew full well they needed him with the team, and yet he expressed his deep concern for the boy's safety.

"Please," Victor had replied flippantly, as he let the boy settle in piggy-back style, "he's with a vampire. How much safer could he be?"

Now, upon the cusp of a potentially dangerous raid, Victor was second-guessing himself. He had no doubts he would protect the boy physically, but what if it had been better for his mind to have left him in the care of one of the officers? He could easily have pried the child off, but he knew that for whatever reason, a trust had been established between them. Separating them now could harm the boy's emotions. Victor had seen it too many times in his line of work, and was not about to let it happen on his watch. Even if it meant taking the child right into the mouth of the beast, he knew that the boy would still be better off as long as they were together.

Mentally nodding to himself, Victor brushed off his fears and put firm trust in his own judgment. This was the moment he had been waiting more than three years for, and he was not going to let anything interfere with his victory.

They had summed up the situation; a camp of blood and alcohol-drunk vampires was still deadly enough. The many human accomplices would prove to be an easy task, even if they were slightly more sober. Victor's heart sank at the sight of so many bodies littering the fire-and-torch-lit camp. Within and without the tents were the remains of men and women of all ages that had been purchased and killed for their blood. This was precisely what Victor intended to stop.

"Just hold tight to me, alright?" Victor said softly to the boy, who responded by pinching even tighter with his hands and knees.

He then signaled the others, and the humans among them hung back, while Victor led the vampire officers downward. In one swift surge the lot of them shot straight down the incline. The first detail Victor was keenly aware of was the faces of the prisoners. Behind the bars of the wagons or in the stand-alone cages they stared up at the arrival of their rescuers. Hopelessness darkened nearly every face, along with lines of pain, fear, and defeat.

The next instant it was the startled vampires and human key-holders he was attending to. Many of them were highly fed on fresh human blood or alcohol, and Victor had to fight as always, with all he had to knock down his own kind. The drunk humans were easy to take care of, but his fellow vampires required much more effort.

Victor and his fellows used every ounce of tranquillizer the police had given them to subdue their brethren; each dose measured for a young elephant. In time, the flow of opponents thinned down to nil.

Bright lights flashed in the distance to tell of the dozen or so police trucks that were racing through the forest paths to reach them.

The wagons and cages were now abuzz, the inhabitants rattling the bars to get the attention of any of their rescuers. The hopelessness was gone. Now triumph shone from their worn faces as Victor broke the locks of their prisons with his own bare hands. Streams of people ran, hobbled, or even crawled out from their confines to thank the officers.

The entire scene was soon chaotically busy with flashing police truck lights, humming with victims' statements, and criminals' protests. In time it would all be sorted out.

Victor stood on the edge of it all where it was a bit quieter, feeling his chest swell. Success. After years and years of false leads, foiled raids, and a thousand more humans murdered through this wretched trade, one faction was well and truly finished.

"Thus ends the reign of the Chargers." He said softly to himself. "At least…for now."

At that moment the loosening of a previously vice-like grip around his waist reminded him of the boy on his back. He had held on most admirably through the entire affair, and now he must have tired out.

"Brave boy." Victor whispered, maneuvering his arms so he could pull the boy into them directly. "Brave, brave boy. After all you've done for us, I must know your name."

The boy hid his face in Victor's shoulder and murmured,

"Ren."


	3. Chapter 3

Victor took a long swallow of wine, letting the warmth of the alcohol spread through him. This was one of his favorite places to be; in front of the fireplace in his library, in one of the deepest and most comfortable chairs he owned. He enjoyed being out in a storm, but he also enjoyed the comforts of a good home like this one on the outskirts of the city. It was large, lined from roof to basement with plush and expensive furnishings. His job paid him very well, and a few lifetimes had helped him build up a good fortune. Being a government investigator ensured a better future for himself as well as the victims he worked to save. This evening had just been another example of how many were out there.

With every respectable line of business come the handful of owners that operate beneath the standards of the law. Banquet Halls were no exception. Early on they were known as 'blood brothels', but the term had a nasty ring to it, and was soon replaced with the current title of 'Banquet Halls'. After all, it was not the sensual nature of the human body that was sold there, but rather it's blood. These were the places vampires fed. Just as humans had their numerous restaurants, so there were now innumerable Banquet Halls for Victor's kind across the globe.

It had been a revolutionary idea, developed at the turn of the 19th century, that had enabled two races forever at war with one another, to coexist. With the legalization of 'blood brothels', humans would be paid in return for their blood, and vampires would no longer need to slay citizens in the streets. Strict guidelines were established: a client could not take more than a set amount of blood, based on the human's weight, surveillance would be kept to ensure this. Healing would be required of the client after every feeding, and each human would have their own doctor on standby during their shift. Inspectors would look in to be sure the human employees were being treated according to these standards and were receiving their wages. With a rough and rocky start, the system had begun and had been going smoothly for over 100 years.

Victor was one of the government-appointed inspectors who travelled to various Banquet Halls and saw to it that the standards were kept according to the law. His main job, however, was sniffing out the underground trafficking of humans that had risen right along with the well-established system. It had actually been going on for as long as humans and vampires had existed, the difference was that before the 20th century, it had not been technically against any law. It had just happened.

Countless millions of humans had died and continued to die that way; bought by a hungry vampire and drained dry moments later amidst the soothing pulses of pleasure emitted by the bite. Worse still, was the human who was purchased for long-term feeding. Victor had seen too many cases like that in his long life; some poor soul locked up for years, in constant fear of, and confusing desire for, the next feeding.

The pleasure of a vampire's bite made for some very heart-breaking cases of Stockholm Syndrome. For some it was all too easy to begin to crave the waves of physical bliss rolled out by their captor's fangs. After that it was merely a matter of the mind translating the feedings into gestures of affection and the victim would soon see their captor as their savior. There was very little to be done in cases like these. The victims would fight rescue tooth and nail, wanting only to be back under the oppression of their captor.

The most sickening cases of all were the vampires who managed to keep an entire 'pantry' of humans hidden away somewhere in order to enjoy a variety of flavor. In these cases a different kind of syndrome could arise; a harem mentality could easily be established if the same group of people had been kept for a very long period of time. Their old lives slowly being forgotten, the only aspect left for the prisoners would be feeding their 'master'. In the end a pecking order of sorts would eventually begin, most or all members competing to be the favorite of the one who had enslaved them all. This was a much rarer occurrence, of course, but Victor had still seen it a handful of times, and that was far too many.

As Victor looked down into the drowsy face of the young boy, Ren, curled up in his lap, he thought to himself how weak humans were. It was the height of cowardice and bestiality to mistreat someone weaker than yourself. While he had not lead a completely pure life since his rebirth as a vampire, he had never deliberately taken advantage of a human. Even in his early years he had spared as many lives as he possibly could have in light of his new ravenous thirst for blood. It had now been over a hundred years since he had taken a life, and he could now keep himself well-fed without breaking any laws or any human bearing a grudge against him. At least, nearly any human. There would always be those who despised all that he was. There would never be complete peace.

A small sound roused him from his dark musings. Ren had yawned, and was staring up at him with those tired but intense doe-eyes. Victor smiled reassuringly down at him, stroking his head. Now that it was clean, his hair was a gleaming chocolate brown. He was quite a fetching little thing to behold.

"You ok? Nice and warm now, eh?" He asked quietly. Ren nodded.

Victor had become easily fascinated by him. He had met children who were openly defiant of him, taking on the voices of their opinionated parents. He had seen children scream with fear at his approach or stare at him with rude or amazed faces. He had even met children who did not care either way what he was, but never before had a child treated him as a protector. He had met too many children victims who cowered at the sight of him, understandably after their experiences. Yet here this boy lay, curled up neat as you please under a blanket with him as if he were a treasured member of his family. It was a puzzle considering he had escaped from Chargers, the top human blood trafficking chain in the country for the past few years. How did Ren not fear him after spending any amount of time surrounded by such blood sucking festivals?

It was a clever operation, a moving market that was bold enough to host flamboyant but hidden events for those in the underworld who wanted to partake of human blood in a very illegal and congregational setting. Victor was beyond ecstatic to have put an end to them tonight.

The rain lashed against the tall dark windows at the other end of the lavish room, the blackness sliced by lightning on occasion. The thunder that followed would cause Ren to nuzzle a little closer into his chest. Just then Victor heard the front door open a few hallways down from them.

"That'll be the visitor I told you about." Victor said reassuringly at Ren's sudden fright. Imposing footsteps betrayed the visitor's journey through the hallways, and then a loud male voice echoed,

"Victor! In the library, I assume?"

"Where else would I be on a night like tonight?" Victor bellowed back.

"Well, considering what I've heard, you should be celebrating with all of your police pals right about now."

The end of the sentence was clear as a man entered the library through the ornate wooden door. He was roughly the same height as Victor, his hair the same dark shade, but his eyes were a deep blue rather than green. His nose was also more broad and long.

"Congratulations, my dear brother! What a triumph of-" The man stopped mid-sentence to look down at the boy. "My, my, my. What have we here?"

"This is the one who led us to the location of the raid." Victor said. He brushed back a few strands of hair from Ren's face. "Little one, this is my little brother, Hector VanCloud. You can trust him just as you do me."

The boy stared up at the newcomer, his eyes observant and calculating.

"And you would be?" Hector asked softly of the boy.

"Ren." Came the soft answer.

"Good to meet you, Ren." Hector said, seating himself in the chair opposite Victor. "You were brave and helped to save a lot of people tonight."

"That's what Victor told me." Ren said, laying his head back onto Victor's chest. Hector's eyes betrayed his question at the boy's action.

"I see…so…Victor?"

"Yes?"

"Why…why does he...?"

"Trust us? Ask the boy yourself."

Hector looked uncomfortable.

"Victor, you know it is my life's work to…well, you know what I do, so I am not sure that this would be a wise discussion to have in front of the boy."

Victor patted Ren's head with a confident smile.

"Besides the fact that he won't be parted from me for a second, he can handle whatever we need to discuss. He's of a strong stock, aren't you, Ren?"

"Yes sir." Ren answered quietly. Hector blew out a breath and shrugged.

"You're the one with all the experience in these matters." He said. "So, Ren, why aren't you scared out of your mind of Victor here? Or of me?" Ren frowned slightly.

"Victor saved me. And….you're his brother so you must be nice too."

"Remarkable." Hector said.

"Indeed, brother, the resilience of youth. He is a kind-heart is this one. He already knows the difference between good and bad and can see it clearly even in vampires."

"I'm sure that makes him the very best kind of person."

"That's what I am thinking." Victor's voice held a sort of pride.

Hector stared into those big amber eyes a while longer, amazed that they did not blink or look away from his own for a second. He broke the gaze first to look at his brother.

"So, did you nab all the important people?"

Victor smiled triumphantly.

"Yes. I wasn't in the thick of the aftermath, as I had to see to Ren here, but I saw Abram Carlson being thrown in the back of one of the trucks."

Hector whistled.

"Abram Carlson? I can't believe it, how long have you been after that devil?"

"For more than twenty years I've been following his bloody trail, always one step behind."

Victor sighed heavily and frowned.

"All this time I've wanted to stick him on—" Victor stopped himself with a glance down at Ren and cleared his throat before continuing, "You know as well as I that he should have been behind bars the moment he caused that little 'incident' at your first Banquet Hall."

"Ah yes, that poor boy he mangled is still living off the money I had to front him for that episode."

"You'd want compensation too if you were sliced open and—" Once more Victor stopped and patted Ren's slowly dozing head before continuing in a more censured manner, "…if you'd been subjected to illegal forms of 'dining'."

"I'm not saying that I wouldn't. Besides, that whole escapade was why I set up shop here, and am now doing so very well."

Victor rolled his eyes at his brother.

"Would you like a glass of wine to go along with that smug attitude?" He asked.

"White Zinfandel, if you please."

"Well pour it yourself, I'm currently playing cushion for a very sleepy boy."

Hector chuckled as he rose, glancing at Ren, whose eyes were closed now.

"Very well."

He rose and went to the small table in the corner, where the bottle was already sitting along with Victor's own preference and an extra glass. His brother knew him very well.

"As much as I wanted Abram Carlson for what he did to you back then," Victor said as Hector poured himself a glass. "We've been hounding him most ardently ever since he murdered one of our own who was trying to infiltrate Chargers at its inception four years ago. Apart from forming the band itself, Abram has been the go-to man, or should I say 'go-to vampire', for the other head members."

"Ah yes," Hector said, returning to his seat. "Dane Harrington, Nash Caldwell, Halsey Jones, and all his other fine fellows?" Victor nodded.

"We finally got most of them." Victor's face was beaming with pride and satisfaction as he took another long sip of wine. Hector mirrored his brother's actions, humming in appreciation before asking,

"Which ones?"

He watched Victor's happy glow increase as he ticked off the names,

"Nash, Dane, Sagan, and Laramie are all in the bag. Halsey, Patton, and the others were not there, but without their leader, Carlson, it's all gone to pieces anyway."

"Excellent, truly and utterly excellent." Hector said. "I can't wait to see the headline in the papers tomorrow. The citizens will be at ease once more knowing Chargers is finally dead."

Victor's glow diminished somewhat and his smile faded.

"At least…until another vampire lower in the ranks decides to form another traffic just like it, and rise to the top just like Carlson did."

Hector's smile faded as well and he leaned forward in his chair.

"Now, Victor, after all this time, after all the good you have done, can you not let yourself be satisfied with what you have accomplished?"

"Satisfied?" Victor huffed slightly. "No, Hector. I can never be satisfied. I can only strive to do it again, and again, until every victim is set free, every criminal put to justice."

"You know that you cannot save everyone." Hector said quietly. "If you will not be satisfied, will you at least let yourself be content for once?"

"Yes, I suppose I can, but it is hard when I consider the true scope of the battle we face. Chargers may have been a large underground organization, but it was still just one. There are hundreds of them out there. We have only made one more small dent in the true market of human blood."

"Don't they tell you that you can't think of it like that or it will drive you mad?" Hector asked, in a tone that suggested this was not the first time he and his brother had had this discussion.

"I know." Victor said, "I truly know that in my mind. But in my heart…" He looked down at Ren, who had fallen asleep, and smoothed his fingers over his dark hair once more. "In my heart I want to save them all. Give them all a chance at redemption and a fine life."

There was a long pause, and Hector finally sighed and drained his glass in one long gulp.

"So, Florence Nightingale, I came here to congratulate you and all that, but I have a thriving business to get back to. The night is still young for the nocturnal feeders."

"Of course. There's just one thing I'd like to ask of you before you leave."

"Anything for my big brother." Hector said rather wearily, standing to place his glass on the table.

"You see, the chief of police has given me custody of Ren for now."

Hector turned and looked at Victor incredulously.

"Are you serious? With your job, you have no time to raise a child. What do you intend…to…" The answer dawned on Hector just as the words were leaving his mouth. "You want me to take him in, don't you?" He asked.

"Please, Hector, he needs a home and a good upbringing with someone he can trust. He shows far more potential than most of the kids you take off the street, and they all turn out well anyway. What could be the harm?"

Hector was silent as he considered his brother's suggestion. When he spoke again his voice was very serious.

"As for his future…you know what it would be if I took him in."

"Yes."

"You think working as a Banquet will be bearable for him, after all he's been through?"

Victor gave a small smile.

"Just look at him," Hector did so, noting the peaceful expression and even breathing. "asleep in the arms of a vampire. He watched unspeakable things being done to his kind by ours, and he knows full well what we are. Yet here he lies, completely trusting."

Victor looked up determinedly at Hector.

"As I said, he's of a strong stock, and education about that which has frightened him most will help him overcome what he had been through. I think it would be the best thing for him; to find that when done legally the consumption of blood is just an everyday occurrence that he can live with. He has to face that one way or another, and in my opinion it should be sooner rather than later. Plus, once I got him dried off and could smell him…well, Hector, I think his scent is unique. I'm convinced that he would do very well for you in the Banquet Hall."

Hector came closer leaned right over Ren to sniff him. His fangs actually sprouted a bit, causing him to pull back in surprise.

"Good gracious..." He whispered, running a hand over his mouth and swallowing slightly with restraint. He seated himself once more before speaking again.

"You know that may very well just be his childhood scent. Most likely it will fade into something completely different as he matures."

Victor wafted the boy's scent upward with one hand, letting himself enjoy it before speaking,

"I have a strange hunch that his scent is set. I cannot explain why."

"How old do you think he is?" Victor rubbed Ren's ear with his thumb.

"About 8, from what he's told me."

"That would mean at least seven years in the Banquet School before he began work, and then he would be earning his way through the rest of his schooling on his own like the others…"

Hector mumbled almost to himself. Victor said nothing in response, waiting for his brother to make up his mind. Hector sat there for a long moment in silence before saying, with a resigned sigh,

"If I am to enter him into the database I'll need a last name as well as a first."

The slight upturn at the very corners of Victor's mouth indicated how pleased he was to have succeeded.

"Ren Winter. He told me his full name was Ren Winter. How perfect and endearing is that?"


	4. Chapter 4

Small fingers gripped a large warm hand as Hector VanCloud led a small boy through the chilly streets. It was early morning, and they were mostly empty. The stone and brick of the many towering buildings all reflected a different shade of warm color from the morning sun, contrasting harshly with the biting cold of the air. Winter had almost fallen away, and yet its unmerciful grip was still seen in the puffs of mist coming from the mouths of the vampire and the little boy he had in tow.

Victor, with all his connections, had managed to find decent and comfortable clothes for Ren, and he was now bundled up in a red wool coat and scarf. He even had new boots that tapped as he walked, Ren himself weighing too little to make the clunking sound a man would have.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast, Ren?" Hector asked.

"Yes," Ren replied, "Victor is a really good cook."

"All to do with necessity," Hector said, chuckling, "He hasn't cooked any human food in several years, if my count is correct. I'm surprised he even found any for you at all."

"It was yummy." Ren said, and leaned his head slightly against Hector's arm as they walked. "But why are we going to a banquet when I already ate?"

"We're not going to a 'banquet', Ren. It's called a 'Banquet Hall'. It's…like a restaurant. My restaurant."

"But I already ate." Ren repeated, looking up at Hector with his wide, amber-and-doe eyes.

"We won't be eating, Ren. I just want to show you around. You'll be coming to my Banquet Hall a lot when you're older, but right now you'll be going to school right next to it."

"That's what Victor said." Ren mumbled.

"Don't you want to go to school?" Hector asked, steering them down a long street lined with bare but budding trees set against the shop fronts.

"I don't know." Ren said honestly. "I've never been to school."

Hector stopped right there in the middle of the street to look down at the boy, who looked straight back at him, unblinking as he appeared to always do.

"Never? Don't you know how to read and write?"

Ren lifted his little pink chin a bit proudly and said,

"My mom taught me! I can read really well, and write! I've just…never been to school…"

"Oh, I see. You were schooled at home." Hector said, resuming their walk.

"Mmhmm." Ren answered, kicking his feet a bit as they walked. "Hector, I'm getting cold, are we almost there?"

"Almost, my lad. Just a few buildings down."

Ren's face lit up at the prospect of getting into a warm room. They eventually reached a set of double glass doors in the side of a brick building. Hector let go of Ren's hand to unlock the doors, and then he opened one for the boy.

"This is my Banquet Hall: Cloud Divine."

The little boy's eyes widened as they stepped into the lobby. It was plush, with thick carpets and rich wallpaper. But what Ren saw first was the enormous painting hanging over a polished wooden desk. It depicted a stream of lovely people with angel wings hovering in the golden air. In their hands they held silver and gold cups which they were all tipping, letting the red contents flow down to another set of people. These people on the dark ground bore black, stunted wings that looked too short to allow them to fly. They held up crude wooden cups with which they were catching the falling red liquid with looks of thanksgiving and praise.

"Wow…" Ren said, staring up at it, "That is…so pretty…"

"You think so, young one?" Hector said, finding that this boy surprised him more and more with every passing moment. "Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know…it's like the angels are helping the demons, and…it's nice to look at."

Hector stared at the painting himself for a moment. He had thought it was the best choice to hang in this lobby when he first bought the building; an original piece worth a good amount of money, but worth it for the aesthetic value and its clear message.

"Well, little one, let's keep going." Hector steered the boy away from the painting and down a hallway that was lined with mirrors and elegant glass lamps. It eventually led to a huge room with a very tall domed ceiling. There were dining tables lining the walls, but apart from them the room was empty, leaving a huge ballroom floor. There was a second level overlooking the main area with balconies. The crown jewel of the room, however, was the magnificent crystal chandelier hanging from the very top center of the domed ceiling. It cast glints of color off the walls and floor as the lights within it shifted, fading and brightening again in a beautiful dance.

"How does it do that?" Ren asked, his amber eyes staring up at it with wonder.

"Expensive mechanisms and light bulbs." Hector answered.

"It must cost a lot to eat here then." Ren said, moving forward to hold out his little palm to a passing spot of blue light.

"Actually, it is affordable to all. Vampires are the only ones who dine here, and all of us have wealth accumulated from several lifetimes at the least. It is not hard for us to afford the best."

Ren nodded to show that he understood.

"Um…you said that only vampires dine here?" He asked a bit hesitantly.

''That's right, Ren." Hector said carefully, "Do you know what we eat?"

The boy was silent for a moment, his eyes cast down to the gleaming marble floors before he swallowed and said,

"You drink our blood."

"Yes, Ren. You see, here humans are paid to let vampires take their blood. They don't get hurt, they just do it as a job. The vampires are very respectful and no human ever dies. Do you understand?"

"It's…just like the painting…" Ren said, though his voice still sounded uncertain.

"Yes, my lad, just like the painting; without humans we vampires could not survive, and so places like this were created to help us all live together in harmony."

Ren looked up at him, his face slightly conflicted. Hector sighed quietly; Victor had told him that it was alright to explain everything to him almost as if he were an adult, but that could not stop Hector from feeling like he was traumatizing the poor boy. But he knew his brother had much experience with these kinds of situations.

"Listen, my boy," Hector said, kneeling before him and looking him in the eye. "Do you trust me?"

Ren gazed straight back at him, almost as if summing him up, before he slowly nodded.

"Then trust what I say; here, humans are protected. The balance of peace between our two kinds is struck here. Places like this keep things like Chargers from happening."

Hector worried for a second that he had said the wrong thing as Ren's mouth thinned and his warm eyes narrowed.

"Then why does it still happen?" He asked softly, "Why did it happen to me?"

Hector felt his heart soften. The boy was no dimwit, that much was already apparent.

"Well, Ren, humankind is capable of dreadful things. I can't explain why these things happen, but do you know what my brother does for a living?" Ren's face lit up a bit at the mention of Victor and he shook his head, but looked eager for Hector to continue. "He works to find and stop trafficking circles like the one you escaped from. He does his best to ensure that humans in other Banquet Halls just like this one are treated well and not being abused. It hurts him, deeply, when he cannot help someone."

"R-really?" Ren asked, sincerely.

"Really. He wants you to be safe…so, he wants you to go to my school, which would mean that…you would eventually work for me here."

"You mean, I'd let my blood be sucked out of me?"

Ren asked, seeming surprisingly calm as he realized what Hector was telling him. Hector had expected him to take fright and maybe even cringe backward at the idea. Well, Victor always had known what he was doing. It looked like he was right about the lad after all.

"Yes, Ren, that would be your job. You would be called a 'banquet'. I will tell you, though, that being bitten doesn't hurt."

"I know." Ren said at once.

"You do?" Hector asked, surprised. The boy's voice was soft as he answered,

"I saw enough people being drunk at the festival; they were scared, but…they seemed to enjoy it when a vampire bit them."

Hector placed a hand on the soft brown head to gently tousle his hair.

"When you're older, then you'll understand."

"I hope so. And you…" Ren looked into his eyes with a pleading, lost kind of gaze, "you'll keep me safe?"

Hector took hold of Ren's hands and looked back at him seriously, trying to convey that he was telling the truth.

"Trust me, Ren; I will never let anyone hurt you."

Ren's small mouth opened to let out a slight, hitching breath as he asked,

"Promise?"

"I absolutely promise."

They stayed like that for a long moment, Hector kneeling before the boy, both of them holding the other's eyes. Ren studied Hector's expression carefully, as if gauging his sincerity. Finally he nodded and said,

"Alright."

"Excellent." Hector rose, keeping hold of Ren's hand and leading him across the huge floor to another hallway.

"What are all the doors for?" Ren asked, glancing to the right and the left as they passed one door after another.

"They are rooms where our clients take the banquets to dine."

"You mean they don't drink us out in that big room?"

"Oh, heaven's no. That would be a breach of contract with our banquets. You see, it spares the humans' dignity to let the vampires feed on them in private."

"Why?"

"Well…er…because…like I said before, it feels good when a vampire bites a human and so…they…um…react…"

"Oh, you mean they yell out 'that feels good' and stuff." Ren stated abruptly.

Hector cleared his throat rather loudly.

"Exactly, Ren. Like I said, you'll understand that when you're older."

"Hector, will I taste special?" Ren asked.

"In what way, Ren?"

"Well, when I was locked up at the festival, a man said that I was in with a cage of people who would taste special, because we were all virgins."

Hector's eyebrows shot up as they walked, torn between wanting to marvel at the boy and wanting to laugh.

"Ren, do you even know what a virgin is?" He asked cautiously.

"Yea," Ren said, "It's someone who hasn't been married."

Hector let out a breath of relief. He had been afraid that the boy's innocence had been completely compromised. It was comforting to know was not.

"That's right, Ren." Hector said, smiling, opening a door that stood at the end of the hallway. It lead out into an alley way, and they walked down to the back of the opposite building.

"This is my school. I'm going to find you a room and show you around. This will be your home from now on."

As Hector unlocked the back door and turned to beckon Ren in, the boy stood, biting his lip and looking contemplative.

"What is it, Ren?" Hector asked gently.

"So…I won't live with Victor?"

"Well, no, young one. My brother is always traveling, he wouldn't be there to see to you like you need him. That's why he wanted you to come here."

"Oh, I see…"

Ren's obvious disappointment touched Hector. Victor had been right; the boy had formed a connection with him very quickly. It was as if overnight Ren had decided that Victor was the only person in the entire world that could ever take care of him or keep him safe. It was like he had known and trusted him for years. Hector mentally shook off the thought. Such a thing had to be a side effect of everything that the poor boy had gone through, nothing more. He was just clinging to the one who saved him. In time, Ren would find others to connect with. At least, that's what Hector hoped.


End file.
